Dispensing package for sterile swabs



Oct. 22, 1963 D. BSJAROFF ETAL ,1

DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR STERILE SWABS I Filed March 21, 1961 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,107,782 DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR STERILE SWABS David B. Jarotf, Yonkers, and Robert Postal, Great Neck, N.Y., assignors to Techmation Corp., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 97,367 4 Claims. (Cl. 20656) This invention relates in general to dispensing packages and, more particularly, to a dispensing package which A further object of this invention is to provide a dispensing package for surgical swabs which may withstand relatively rough handling and usage without contamination while easily dispensing sterile swabs for use.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a dispensing package for sterile surgical swabs which is I simple in structure and economically manufactured.-

Many other objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiment of the invenice,

As shown in FIGURE 5, each surgical swab 30 has a shank 31 and at least one absorbent tip 32. The swabs 30 are packaged in separable and individual swab containers 33. The swab containers 33, as shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7, are assembled from twostrips 34 and 35 of thin and preferably transparent films which may be bonded together, heat sealed or otherwise joined. As shown in FIGURE 7, a strip 35 of film such as polyethylene or pliofilm is moved to the left with pairs of swabs 30 deposited on it at suitable intervals. A second strip of film 34 is brought downward over the strip 35 to cover the swabs 30 which, with the strips 34 and 35, are in a sterile condition. Heat sealing apparatus or other suitable means .then bonds the films 34 and 35 about the peripheries 37 of pairs of swabs 30 to form individual swab containers 33.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, a large number of swab containers 33 are rolled up and placed within the outer shell 10 between the side members 26 and 27 of the insert 25. The insert 25 is placed in shell 10 so that the side members 26 and 27 cover the tips 20 and 21 of the top and bottomwalls 17 and 12. This prevents the tips 20 and 21, which must extend within the shell 10 to secure the top and bottom walls, from fouling and obstructing movement of the swab containers within shell 20 as they are withdrawn. When the flaps 18 are folded downward,

one flap 18 rests on the top portion 28 and the guide tion and its practice as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the dispensing package for sterile surgical swabs;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of an unfolded blank which may be assembled into the outer shell of thedispensing package;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of an insert which is placed within the outer shell of the dispensing package;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section through the dispensing package;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of three separable swab containers;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a fragment of a strip of material used to fabricate the swab containers; and

FIGURE 7 is a vertical section through two strips of material being assembled into swab containers.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the dispensing package of this invention is made in the following manner. An outer shell 10 is assembled from the blank 11. The blank 11 has a square base 12 which is foldably attached to the side wall 13. The side walls 14, 15 and 16 are foldably connected together and to the side wall 13. A top wall 17 is attached to side wall 15 and the flaps 18 and 18' are foldably connected above and below the side walls 14 and 16. A side flap 19 extends beyond wall 16 and the tips 20 and 21 foldably extend from the top wall 17 and the bottom wall 12.

The outer shell 11 is assembled into a square box as shown in FIGURE 1 by gluing or otherwise securing the side wall flap 19 to the outer edge of side wall 13. The lower flaps 18 are then folded inward and the bottom wall 12 is folded up below them with its tip 21 tucked inside and adjacent to the bottom of side wall 15.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the insert 25 consists of the member 29 is folded over it so that the flaps 18 cannot jam the withdrawal of the swab containers 33. The top wall 17 is then folded downward over an upper flap 18 and the guide member 29 whereon its tip 20 is inserted behind side member 26. Top wall 17 contains a rectangular aperture 40 which may be longer than the swabs 30 and slightly shorter than the width of the strips 34 and 35 of film. The endmost swab container 33 is then extended through aperture and the sterile swab. dis penser is ready for use.

As swabs 30 are-needed, individual swab containers 33 are torn from the roll of swab containers. As has been pointed out, the guide member 29 prevents the swab con- I tainers 33 within the outer shell 10 from jamming against two side members 26 and 27 which are folded downward the flap 18 adjacent to aperture 40. If aperture 40 is shorter than the width of the swab containers 33, aperture 40 tends to hold the swab container 33 which is disposed within it and thus enables a withdrawn container 33 to be more easily torn from the roll.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the strips of film 34 and 35 may have the transverse lines 41 and 42 scribed on them. Between each line 41 and 42 there is a small indentation further inward from the intersection of lines 43 and 44.

The scribe lines 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 may be formed on the strips of film 34 and 35 and then the lines may be justified during the assembly of the swab containers as shown in FIGURE 7 so that these lines define each swab container 33. If it is desired, the lines 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 may be formed on the strips 34 and 35 as they are heat sealed or otherwise bonded together about a pair of swabs 30.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, when a swab container 33 is torn from the roll by separating it from an adjacent swab container 33 along the lines 41, 42, 43 and44, the separated swab container 33 may then be easily opened. The container 33 is held between the thumb and forefinger of both hands on either side of the scribe line '45. The material of the films 34 and 35 is then easily torn along the scribe line 45 to separate the swab container 33 into two parts along its center. This allows the double-ended surgical swabs 30 to be grasped in their center portions and thus keep the absorbent tips 32 in their Referring further to FIGURE 5, if the uppermost swab container 33 is at the end of the roll and projecting through aperture 40, it may be torn from the adjacent container 33 witha twisting motion. T he films 34 and 35 will then separate along the scribe lines 41, 42, 43 and 44 and the films will also tend to split along scribe line 45. Thus, the swab containers 33 are already partially opened as they are torn from the roll so that they may be more easily removed as has been described.

While we have disclosed our invention in the best form known to us, it will nevertheless be understood that this is purely exemplary and that modifications in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts and the substitution of materials may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention except as it may be more limited in the appended claims wherein we claim:

1. A dispensing package for sterile surgical swabs comprising, in combination, a rectangular outer shell having four side walls joined together, upper flaps extending from the tops of two opposite side walls, a top wall extending from a side wall between said upper flaps and containing a slot, a tip of said top wall, lower flaps extending from the bottom of two opposite side walls below said upper flaps, a bottom wall extending from a side wall between said lower flaps, a tip of said bottom wall, a U-shaped insert having a top portion, two side members extending downward from said top portion, and a guide member folded over said top portion from said top portionand defining a fold line in said top portion, said lower fiaps being folded inward from said side walls and said bottom wall being folded upward below said lower flaps with said tip of said bottom wall extending upward between said lower flaps adjacent to the inner side of a side wall, said upper flaps being folded inward from said side walls and said top wall being folded downward above said upper flaps with said tip of said top wall extending downward between said upper flaps adjacent to the inner edge of a side wall, said insert being disposed within said outer shell with said side members substantially covering the inner surfaces of two opposite side walls with the tips of said top and bottom walls being disposed beyond said side members of said insert, said top portion of said insent extending below one of said upper flaps and said guide member being folded over said upper flap to dispose said fold line between said slot and the side wall from which said one upper flap extends, separable swab containers in a' strip disposed within said shell between the side members of said insert, one of said swab containers at one end of said strip of swab containers extending through the slot in said top wall, and surgical swabs within said swab containers.

2. A dispensing package as in claim 1, said swab containers comprising two strips of flexible material with said swabs disposed transversely between said strips of flexible material, said strips of flexible material being sealed about said swabs, said strips of flexible material containing transverse score lines extending inward from the edges of said strips of flexible material between said sealed-in swabs, said score lines turning sharply in one direction in the center of said flexible strips to define fingerpieces for withdrawing the foremost container from said shell.

3. The combination according .to claim 2 wherein said fingerpieces are also defined by score lines which turn sharply towards the end of said strip of swab containers extending through the slot in said shell.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said flexible strips contain an additional short score line extending from each intersection of said score lines towards the end of said strip of swab containers extending through the slot in said-shelh sai'cl additional score lines defining tear openings for said containers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 374,399 Donovan et a1 Dec. 6, 1887 2,758,710 Arens Aug. 14, 1956 2,771,214 Lefebvre Nov. 2( 1956 

1. A DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR STERILE SURGICAL SWABS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A RECTANGULAR OUTER SHELL HAVING FOUR SIDE WALLS JOINED TOGETHER, UPPER FLAPS EXTENDING FROM THE TOP OF TWO OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS, A TOP WALL EXTENDING FROM A SIDE WALL BETWEEN SAID UPPER FLAPS AND CONTAINING A SLOT, A TIP OF SAID TOP WALL, LOWER FLAPS EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF TWO OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS BELOW SAID UPPER FLAPS, A BOTTOM WALL EXTENDING FROM A SIDE WALL BETWEEN SAID LOWER FLAPS, A TIP OF SAID BOTTOM WALL, A U-SHAPED INSERT HAVING A TOP PORTION, TWO SIDE MEMBERS EXTENDING DOWNWARD FROM SAID TOP PORTION, AND A GUIDE MEMBER FOLDED OVER SAID TOP PORTION FROM SAID TOP PORTION AND DEFINING A FOLD LINE IN SAID TOP PORTION, SAID LOWER FLAPS BEING FOLDED INWARD FROM SAID SIDE WALLS AND SAID BOTTOM WALL BEING FOLDED UPWARD BELOW SAID LOWER FLAPS WITH SAID TIP OF SAID BOTTOM WALL EXTENDING UPWARD BETWEEN SAID LOWER FLAPS ADJACENT TO THE INNER SIDE OF A SIDE WALL, SAID UPPER FLAPS BEING FOLDED INWARD FORM SAID SIDE WALLS AND SAID TOP WALL BEING FOLDED DOWNWARD ABOVE SAID UPPER FLAPS WITH SAID TIP OF SAID TOP WALL EXTENDING DOWNWARD BETWEEN SAID UPPER FLAPS ADJACENT TO THE INNER EDGE OF A SIDE WALL, SAID INSERT BEING DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OUTER SHELL WITH SAID SIDE MEMBERS SUBSTANTIALLY COVERING THE INNER SURFACES OF TWO OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS WITH THE TIPS OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS BEING DISPOSED BEYOND SAID SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID INSERT, SAID TOP PORTION OF SAID INSERT EXTENDING BELOW ONE OF SAID UPPER FLAPS AND SAID GUIDE MEMBER BEING FOLDED OVER SAID UPPER FLAP TO DISPOSE SAID FOLD LINE BETWEEN SAID SLOT AND THE SIDE WALL FROM WHICH SAID ONE UPPER FLAP EXTENDS, SEPARABLE SWAB CONTAINERS IN A STRIP DISPOSED WITHIN SAID SHELL BETWEEN THE SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID INSERT, ON OF SAID SWAB CONTAINERS AT ONE END OF SAID STRIP OF SWAB CONTAINERS EXTENDING THROUGH THE SLOT IN SAID TOP WALL, AND SURGICAL SWABS WITHIN SAID SWAB CONTAINERS. 